World Cup hero Lucy Bronze scores with young players at Alnwick Town Girls Football Club

Alnwick's World Cup star Lucy Bronze meets members of Alnwick Town Girls Football Club

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Northumberland's World Cup star Lucy Bronze proved a hit with girls keen to follow in her footsteps when she made a return to her home town for the first time in a year.

The 23-year-old, whose skills on the pitch helped England’s women’s football team score third place in the recent 2015 World Cup, could not have had a warmer welcome when she dropped in to Alnwick Town Girls Football Club in the middle of training.

Its delighted team spent two hours with the player who also agreed to be an ambassador for the club during her brief break from footballer duties.

“We couldn’t have asked for a better role model for our girls,” said equally delighted coach Emma Saunders, whose own eight-year-old daughter has been inspired to take up the sport after seeing Lucy play.

Emma said: “Lucy hasn’t been home in the past year and we were honoured when she came.

“Mark Hedley, our director of football, along with coach Amy Hately and myself beamed at just how much this meant to our girls, that a local girl, who became a star in the World Cup, was prepared to give us time on her only two days off.

“The girls were in total awe of her and she joined in alongside them which blew them away.

“She then spent time signing training tops, coats, socks, boots and water bottles.”

She added: “She was grounded and genuinely happy to be around them all.

“The girls were buzzing. My daughter watched her playing in the World Cup and became set to become a goal keeper in the World Cup squad when she is old enough as she reckoned at eight-years-old old it may be too young!

“Lucy brought it home that with commitment and hard work you can achieve your dreams.”